Environment

One of our favorite regular guests, Bob King of the Duluth News Tribune, chatted with Dave TerSteeg Oct. 3 about meteors and much more. A lunar eclipse is coming early Wednesday morning, Oct. 8. You can read Bob's Astrobob blog here.

Jeff Gunderson, director of Minnesota Sea Grant, spoke with Randy Eastlund Sept. 26 about work they did with Wisconsin Sea Grant to identify and mitigate corrosion to the port of Duluth-Superior's infrastructure, thereby saving millions of dollars in future repair and replacement costs. You can learn more about the work of Sea Grant here.

Dick spoke Sept. 12 with Dave Zumeta, executive director of the MN Forest Resources Council, and Shawn Perich, member representing game species management, about the council, what it does, and how it affects our forests and businesses locally. The council is meeting Sept. 17 at North House Folk School in Grand Marais beginning at 9:30 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. You can learn more about the work of the MN Forest Resources Council here.

National Geographic Adventurers of the Year Dave & Amy Freeman are starting their next adventure, Paddle to DC, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and raise awareness of threats posed by proposed mining near the BWCAW. They spoke with Dick Aug. 22 about their trip, what they hope to accomplish along the way, and much more. You can follow them here. They'll be in Grand Marais for an event Sept. 2.

Dr. Justin Andrew Johnson, an economist with the Natural Capital Project at the Institute on the Environment, spoke with Dick Aug. 22. His latest study shows that by limiting agricultural expansion to certain key global regions, the growing need for food can be met, and more carbon can be preserved that with unguided expansion. Dr. Johnson explained the study and its findings and implications for agriculture and climate change. You can learn more about the Institute here.

Dave TerSteeg spoke with Erin Stojan Ruccolo, director of electricity markets for Fresh Energy, about various aspects of generating solar energy in Minnesota, including community solar, setting an actual monetary value for solar, and the solar array that Great River Energy has proposed for the Arrowhead Cooperative site in Lutsen. You can learn more about solar and other renewables here.

Dick talked with Dr. Miriam Tatzel, a psychologist at Empire State College in New York, about why true happiness involves personally fulfilling activities and social relationships more than the pursuit of money and possessions...and how this happens to be better for the environment, too. You can read more about positive psychology and the pursuit of happiness here.